The Orphan and The Nutcracker
by Suddenly Serket
Summary: It's Castiel's first Christmas without his parents, and he's feeling a little upset this holiday. It's not until an old friend, Joshua, brings a gift that mesmerizes Castiel and will take him on a journey of enchantment and danger. (Nutcracker au, rated T for language).
1. The Present

Christmas eve, a grand night to have a party. The towering house decorated to the brim with all the festive trimmings. Miles of tinsel wrapping around staircase banister. A bounty of food on the dining room from different cultures. Holly and mistletoe hung each nook and cranny accompanied by festive reefs. The whole house smelled of gingerbread and pine, giving it a warm feeling. To top it all off, there was magnificent christmas tree in the ballroom; with silly trinket ornaments, miles of ribbon covering it and a golden star placed right on top.

The guests of the Novak residence were talking happily about, all of them wasted off of laughter and holiday spirit. It was a sight to behold, all of them gathered in the ballroom some dancing and some content on just chatting. Everyone there was merry, except for one soul. Castiel, the boy with dark hair and brilliant blue eyes was taking a seat outside on the balcony. Sighing to himself caught up in old memories. It was the first christmas he would spend without his parents, who had tragically passed away in a house fire which left his childhood home in ashes.

Still, he was grateful to his aunt and uncle for letting him stay. They had even been nice enough to send Gabriel off to college, a wonderful gesture. He just wished his cousin, Lucifer, could be as welcoming as they were. Michael, his brother had no problem welcoming him home but for some odd reason, Lucifer despised Castiel. He thought since they were the same age, they'd get along but it was the exact opposite. He threw Castiel's things out in the rain, he ripped up his schoolwork and even locked him outside at times.

"Well, there's my little brother," he heard a jolly voice say. Castiel turned his head around, smiling instantly.

"Gabriel!" Castiel said happily, rushing over to hug him. He took a good look at his brother, hardly recognizing him with the ironed brown suit and smoothed-back hair. "I thought you said you wouldn't be able to make it tonight."

"And miss Christmas? You obviously underestimate me," Gabriel said with a laughing, hugging him back, before pulling away to take a better look at Castiel. "Look at you, my baby brother all grown up." Castiel was rather formal, in his dark blue suit with a red tie. Still, he felt oddly out of place at the party.

"I wouldn't say that," he noted being modest.

"16, you're practically an adult," Gabriel joked, "Maybe we should go get drunk and buy raffle tickets now."

"Gabriel!" Castiel shouted, "That'd never work."

"Says you, you'd pass for 21 in that outfit," he complimented, Castiel simply rolled his eyes at his brother's jeers. "Speaking of which, what are you doing out here in the first place?"

"I needed fresh air, that's all," he quickly excused. Gabriel gave put on his rare stern look, seeing right through Castiel's lies.

"Then why did our aunt have to practically beg me to bring you back inside?" he asked. Castiel knew he was busted.

"I just don't see the point, I like it out here," he quickly excused.

"Oh come on, there's food, presents and toys! What's not to like in there?" Gabriel shouted, getting annoyed with his brother's gloominess.

"Toys are for children," Castiel quickly excused, "As you said, I'm almost an adult." Gabriel sighed, gaining his composure and standing next to Castiel, leaning on the balcony railing.

"Come on, Cas," Gabriel pleaded. "They would want you to have a good timeâ€¦" He was going to say mom and dad, but didn't have the heart to finish the sentence. He figured Castiel could deduce who he was talking about by the way his muscles tensed up.

"I said I'm fine out here," he spoke in a louder and more demanding tone. Gabriel knew he wasn't going to budge with a serious talk. He simply shrugged, going back to smirking and making his way to the door.

"Fine," he dismissed, "I suppose I'll just go and tell our aunt, our uncle, Lucifer, Joshua, Michael-" Castiel perked up at one of the names.

"Who did you say?" Castiel asked turning around, Gabriel had a sly smile on his face.

"Michael?" Gabriel said, smiling wider.

"No, the one before that," Castiel said, inching closer to the door.

"Lucifer?" Gabriel asked, snickering at this point.

"No, dammit Gabriel!" Castiel shouted, looking his brother in the eye. "Is Joshua really here?" Gabriel was grinning from ear to ear but slowly nodded.

"Got here about the time I did," he confessed.

"W-why didn't he come out to get me?" Castiel asked skeptic.

"You know Joshua," Gabriel explained, "All the kids are already crowding him asking for toys. If there's one thing he's the greatest at, besides gardening, it's toymaking." Castiel inched towards the door.

"Perhaps I could come in for a few moments," he decided. Gabriel looked more relieved that he had finally came around.

"I thought you'd never insist," Gabriel exasperated. Earning a jab in the stomach from Castiel. They still hurried in the house, slamming the door behind them. Castiel couldn't wait to see Joshua again. He had always been a dear friend to the Novak family, and had been very close to their own parents. He had tried to have been there for Castiel and Gabriel after the fire, but since he had opened his own garden and home store he couldn't find much free time.

They made their way through the crowd, already seeing toys being handed out by their old friend. Their cousin, Anna, had gotten two beautiful ballerinas. One named Joanna and the other named Ellen. Another cousin, Zachariah hurried off holding a black and white harlequin doll he named Kevin. Samandriel, the youngest cousin, seemed content with the playing with the puppet he had oddly named Garth.

After greeting the guests and making his way through chatter and merriment he finally saw the man who was like a father to him. Joshua had just handed a doll to Hester, who was staring at it with adoring eyes

"Joshua!" Castiel greeted making his way in Joshua's direction. Joshua turned his head, a smile growing on his face as he excused Hester.

"There you are!" Joshua greeted, pulling him into a hug. "I was wondering where you have gotten off to."

"It's...A big ballroom," Castiel noted, not wanting to tell Joshua that he had been sulking on the balcony.

"That it is," Joshua quickly excused noticing Gabriel. "And hello again, Gabe," he said grasping Gabriel's hand for a firm handshake, "How is school going for you?"

"Busy," Gabriel admitted, "I feel better being here with family, though."

"Yes, always good to unwind," Joshua agreed, "Well come, there must be something in the bag for both of you." Gabriel and Castiel gave each other a hesitant look.

"Aren't we a little old for toys?" Gabriel asked, Joshua could only laugh.

"No one's too old for toys on christmas," he excused, "Besides, you have to admit toys I make are top notch. Not one complaint from any child tonight. Except Lucifer, but that child is never happy." They both laughed as Joshua pulled out two wrapped boxes from his bag.

"For Gabriel," he said handing the package gingerly to Gabriel. "And Castiel...I'm sorry if you don't like this one...You might you might not, it's up to you." Castiel took the package suspiciously. Gabriel ripped through the wrapping paper to find a toy soldier with long, floppy brown hair.

"I love it!" Gabriel laughed, "Haven't played with one of these for ages!" He took it out of the box, admiring the craftsmanship.

"His name is Sam," Joshua said smiling. He turned back to Castiel, who was still holding his present unwrapped. "Well, don't just stare at it, tear it open!" Castiel obliged, carefully taking off the paper and opening the box. What was in it surprised him.

"A nutcracker?" Lucifer asked, appearing behind Castiel's back, "What a stupid present."

"Lucifer, can't you just leave the poor boy alone for one day?" Joshua asked, Lucifer only stuck his tongue out in Joshua's direction. Castiel didn't pay any attention to the situation, lifting the nutcracker out of its box. Paying attention to every detail, The golden brown hair was soft to the touch, Joshua had made flicks of paint to make it look like freckles, a green and black military uniform, and the most beautiful jaded green eyes.

"He's...He'sâ€¦" Castiel found it hard to find the right words to say.

"Ugly?" Lucifer asked, with a snicker. Gabriel rolled his eyes and simply smacked him on the head.

"Perfect," Castiel corrected, with a small smile. Holding the nutcracker into the light to see it better. Slowly running his fingers on the side, feeling every detail.

"I'm glad you like it," Joshua said with a fulfilled smile that Castiel had adored his present. "I'll even let you name him if you'd like." That was a rare occurrence, Joshua was always so proud of his work he usually named the toys he made himself.

"Thank you, Joshua," Castiel said giving him a grateful hug. He turned back to his nutcracker wondering what he should be named. "He looks like a Dean to me."

"Dean it is," Joshua agreed. Lucifer still seemed unimpressed by the whole situation.

"I don't even know what you see in him," he said, "Just seems like a useless piece of firewood to me." Castiel shot daggers at Lucifer.

"Shut up!" he defended, "He's more than that." Castiel noted smiling back at Dean.

"Indeed he is," Joshua agreed, "In fact there's a story to go along with that nutcracker."

"There is?" Castiel asked, "What is it?" Joshua smirked, taking a seat at the nearby couch and getting comfortable.

"Well...It wasn't always a nutcracker," he began, "But a prince with a foul mouth from an enchanted land. Peace was able to reign there for many centuries. Until one day the vicious rat king grew jealous of everyone's joy and wanted it for his own. So he used dark magic to freeze all of the subjects of the kingdom. The prince tried to stop him but was turned into a nutcracker in the process."

"That's horrible," Castiel said, wide eyed and clutching Dean closer to his chest.

"It is," Joshua continued, "It was told that only the sugarplum fairy could stop the evil curse on the land. But would not help the prince unless he could prove his worth." Castiel stared back down at Dean.

"He seems worthy enough to me," he said with a smile. Lucifer eyed the nutcracker more curiously.

"Let me see him," Lucifer said grabbing for Dean. Castiel was defensive and quickly pulled back.

"Hey!" he shouted, pulling harder but Lucifer wouldn't let go, "Lucifer! Let Dean go!" There was a snap and they both stopped pulling. Lucifer was holding one of Dean's arm while Castiel was holding the rest.

"Whoops," Lucifer said, not a hint of remorse in his voice. Gabriel grabbed him by the ear, holding it up.

"Don't you know to not take things that don't belong to you?" he asked rhetorically, taking the arm from his hand and handing it back to Castiel. "I'm...sorryâ€¦" Castiel bit his lip, looking on the verge of tears but wasn't willing to cry.

"It's alright," Castiel quickly said, putting on a brave face. "Nothing a little glue and tape can't fix. I'm sure I can fix him up in the kitchen."

"I'll go too," Joshua offered, "I made Dean, I should know how to repair him." They made their way through the thick crowd into the more quiet kitchen. The chef had taken a break so all there were now were a few mouse traps. Castiel quickly searched the cupboards and found glue. Joshua carefully glued Dean's arm back together. Castiel insisted on wrapping a small bit of cloth around it to make sure it would stay.

"Good as new," Castiel cheered up saying, taking another long look at Dean before he looked up. "Joshua, do you think Dean is really a prince?"

"I believe that you think he is," Joshua quickly answered, with a small and knowing smile. Castiel had a concerned look as he raised an eyebrow.

"I feel there's something you're not telling me." he said, Joshua laughed a loud boisterous laugh.

"It will all make sense in time," he answered. Castiel was about to argue when Gabriel soon came in saying it was time to say goodbye to the guests. Castiel nodded, standing up and taking Dean with him. The old grandfather clock with the angel on top struck ten as night grew darker. The Novak family quickly said goodbye to all, Gabriel would be spending the night at the abode. While saying farewell, Castiel held Dean close to him the whole time. Not setting him down until the maid came in when all the guests had been long gone.

"Alright, off to bed with all of you," she said sternly, "Have to get this house cleaned up and ready for Christmas tomorrow." Most of the family obliged, turning in for the night. Castiel was staring at Dean's work before the maid took it out of his hands and set it on a table.

"You can play with toys tomorrow, Cas," she said.

"But, I just-"

"Not another word," she ordered, "Your new nutcracker will be there in the morning. Now out, and empty the mouse traps on your way out." Castiel sighed, being shooed out of the room. He did as told, emptying out the mouse traps from the poor things who had met their demise. Heading upstairs he realized how tired he was, barely taking off his suit coat and tie before collapsing on his bed. Castiel took a deep breath before he was already fast asleep, dreaming of his new nutcracker.

* * *

**I know it's long after Christmas but I was still watching specials and thought, 'Hey, this would make a good Destiel fic.' So I went looking for one but there's not any finished ones so I figured I could take matters into my own hands and write it. Hope you enjoy the story.**


	2. The Battle

Castiel was asleep, but he suddenly heard an abrupt sound. A tiny sound that he couldn't make out, it sounded like the scurrying of tiny feet. He lied in bed for awhile, trying to ignore it before it became too much. He quickly got up, shoes still on, opening the door and walking down the hall.

"Hello?" he cried out, "Lucifer is that you?" he continued down the stairs, noticing the the noise was coming from the ballroom. "Look, if you think this is funny-" He opened the door only to stop his sentence. He remembered the christmas tree being tall but not fifty times taller and towering over him. He approached closer, only to see that the rest of the furniture had grown in size too. In fact, the whole ballroom was bigger then Castiel remembered. He quickly turned around, looking for the door. Only to see it had also grown and was now slowly closing. The impact of the door shutting was enough to knock Castiel off of his feet.

He was shaking from fear when he heard that scurrying sound again, he saw shadows moving around from the corners of his eyes.

"Hello?" he said cautiously, the shadows grew closer.

"You!" One of the shadows shouted, jumping out to reveal a mouse. A mouse standing on two legs,wearing red armor and holding a spear just the right size. Another mouse wearing the same armor came and joined him.

"What do you know of this one?" he asked, they both stared at Castiel as if he was the vermin.

"He and his kind have killed many of our brothers," The mouse said, "With those tempting murder traps. I have seen this one disposing of the bodies earlier this night."

"No it wasn't like that," Castiel said getting to his feet, only to have a spear pointed in his face.

"You will be silent!" the mouse spat at him, "Our king will decide your fate. Put him in the prison with the rest of them for now." The other nodded. Pointing his spear towards Castiel, ordering him to follow. They lead him to a one of the discarded boxes from the excitement of presents. It was just the right size to hold someone like him. Two more mice came and quickly lifted the top, while another shoved him under the box. They quickly closed it, he thought he was the only one there until he saw a lit match.

"Who's there?" a voice asked, they held the match closer to their face. It was the harlequin doll, Kevin. He was holding the match as if it was a torch.

"You're one of the dolls from earlier," Castiel noted inching closer, noticing the doll had asian features to it under the clown makeup.

"It's the boy from earlier," a higher voice said, "The one who got the nutcracker."

"Now, Jo honey, don't be rude to the boy," a more motherly voice said, "The poor boy looks scared out of his wits."

"Who was that?" Castiel asked. Kevin moved the match over to illuminate two ballerinas.

"You're Anna's dolls," Castiel noted, "Joanna and Ellen."

"That's right," one spoke up, "I'm Ellen and this is my daughter."

"Just call me Jo," she smiled at Castiel.

"Hey! Watch where you're pointing that match!" A voice shouted, "Some of us are more flammable than others."

"Sorry, Garth," Kevin apologized, taking the light away from the small felt puppet.

"Thank you, as you heard I'm Garth," he spoke to Castiel, Castiel simply nodded in approval.

"What am I doing here?" Castiel asked, avoiding small talk, "Why are you all talking? Why are mice trying to kill me?"

"Calm down, take a breath," Ellen spoke, patting his back. Castiel took a few long inhales and exhales. "We know about as much as you do, honey. You see we're not from around here."

"We come from an enchanted land," Jo quickly cut in, "The one the kind man was telling you about."

"Joshua?" Castiel asked, "You mean that was real?" he couldn't believe it. "This is just a dream. I have to be dreaming, I'll wake up at any minute-" Before he could get the chance to finish the box tilted up again, Kevin quickly blew out the match away from Garth. Two mice appeared grabbing Castiel by the collar.

"The king will see you now," he said. One tied Castiel's hands behind his back with a small piece of ribbon so he couldn't escape. They threw him to the ground in front of a taller mouse. It wasn't a mouse he noticed.

"All hail our wonderful rat king!" A mice announced, every mouse that was scattered there bowed at once.

"What is this boy's crime?" the rat king asked in a boisterous voice that made the area tremble.

"He was disposing of our fellow brethren to the mere trash," one mouse shouted as others shouted for vengeance, "Not even a proper burial for the fallen. His whole kind set up the traps for them to fall under." The king didn't look pleased by this.

"No, it's not like that," Castiel tried to explain, "I was distracted and tired, and I felt bad that I had to throw them away like that. You see, I had just gotten a new nutcracker-" every mouse in the room gasped and raised their spears and swords. The old king unsheathing his own sword.

"That name is forbidden among our order," he said stepping closer Castiel, "That filthy nutcracker and his pompous ways."

"His name is Dean!" Castiel defended.

"Silence!" one mouse spoke as he approached the rat, "My lord, have you decided the penalty?" The king smirked.

"I have," he said raising his sword, "Execution by my own hands." Castiel's mouth hung open as all the other mice cheered. "Any friend of that nutcracker deserves it." The rat king was about to swing, Castiel was ready closing his eyes for the hit but it never came.

"Hey, ugly!" he heard an unfamiliar say, the rat king had stopped and turned around. Castiel opened his eyes to see what everyone was looking at. He smiled when he saw a familiar nutcracker there with beautiful green eyes standing tall on a pile of presents. "It's me you want, leave him out of this."

"Come to play after all haven't you?," the rat king laughed, turning his direction towards Dean. "I hate to tell how terribly outnumbered you are!" Dean only shrugged not looking affected by the statement, drawing his own sword.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he flapped out with his wooden mouth. Dean quickly kicked a present out of the way to reveal a sizable army of tin soldiers the children had been playing with, swords pointed at the ready. Leading the army was none other than the floppy-haired soldier Gabriel had received. "Ready for attack when you are, Sammy!" he shouted. Sam held up his own sword to the air.

"Attack!" Sam shouted, the tin soldiers went running towards the mice. Before Castiel could think a battle had erupted and he was caught in the middle. Mice, slaying soldiers and vice versa. It was a gruesome scene to watch. He tried to run to the sides with his hands tied behind his back. Dodging swords and almost getting his head chopped off a few times.

"Woah there," a pair of wooden arms had caught him. He looked behind him frantically but calmed down when he saw who it was.

"Deanâ€¦" he said, staring into those mesmerizing eyes.

"Looks like you've gotten yourself into some trouble," Dean noticed untying Castiel. "Feel bad for getting you into this mess."

"Don't be, it's not your fault," Castiel noted, happy that his wrists were free, "It's that terrible king's fault."

"Who are you calling terrible?" he heard someone shout, the king charged at them. Dean stood in front of Castiel. Protecting him, sword at the ready. The king and Dean's swords clashed as they started a more intense sword fight that made the havoc around them look like child's play. Castiel silently cheered for Dean, not taking his eyes off of the fight. Wishing he had a weapon or fighting skills to help. The king swung at Dean's legs but he jumped in time barely missing but catching him off guard. The terrible rat was about to go for Dean's stomach. Castiel panicked, taking off one of his loafers and chucking it as hard as he could at the rat's head. The rat was confused and stared at Castiel, anger in his eyes.

"You little-" the king was cut short being stabbed in the abdomen by Dean. The rat let out a shrill scream before falling to the floor. It wasn't enough to kill him but if he didn't get treatment soon he would. The remaining mice all looked in horror as the king lay bleeding. They all decided retreat was the best option. Quickly running to their king, steadying him on his fat feet. They quickly made a hasty escape through a crack in the wall.

"You haven't seen the last of us!" The king shouted before going into the crack himself. Castiel and the remaining soldiers heaved a sigh of relief, happy to know that he was gone. Castiel felt a tap on his shoulder, only to see Dean holding his shoe.

"I believe you dropped- or as more threw this," he said handing it back to Castiel.

"Thank you...For everything," he said gratefully, slipping it back on. He still found it hard to believe he was actually talking to the nutcracker whom he adored the moment he opened his present. Not only that but his nutcracker had also saved him from danger, more than he could ask for. He was about to thank him more when he noticed scratches on his body. "Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, "Did they hurt you?" Dean only laughed at the statement.

"Not much they can do but scratch my paint," Dean quickly said, "I am made out of wood, after all." Castiel nodded, understanding. Sam came up, a few scratches on him as well. "How are things looking, Sammy?"

"Not too good," Sam answered, "We lost a good number of men and a lot of them are still wounded." Dean got a very solemn look on his face.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath kicking at nothing. Sam seemed to notice the distress Dean was feeling.

"But we did manage to free the prisoners that were under the box," Sam noted. Dean perked up at this response.

"All of them? They're okay?" he asked more frantically, Sam nodded.

"Kevin, Ellen, Jo and Garth," Sam said happily smiling, "All unharmed and taking care of the wounded right now." Castiel could almost see the end of Dean's mouth curve into a smile. "Who's this?" Sam asked pointing in Castiel's direction. Dean smiled.

"This is Cas," Dean answered, "He was one of the humans at the party." Castiel smiled, Dean remembered who he was at least. It wasn't his full name but it would do. He still knew there were more pressing matters at hand.

"That rat," Castiel quickly noted, "He said he would be back." Dean payed attention to what he was saying and nodded.

"We'll talk about it back at base," Dean dismissed. Beckoning for them to follow him. Turns out base was just the toys hiding under the tree with presents blockading them in. Still, at their size it did make a good shelter. He saw a lot of other toys working on the other tin soldiers, the ones he had met in prison got immediately when seeing Dean. They must have known him better than the others.

"Did the mice leave for good?" Kevin asked, fidgeting his thumbs together. Dean shook his head.

"He said he'll be back," he announced. Everyone looked downtrodden from the news.

"We don't have enough soldiers to make it through this time," Sam noted.

"And the ones that made it aren't going to make it through the next attack," Ellen said. The one whom had patched up the most soldiers.

"That's why," Dean began taking out his sword, "We keep the fighting away from here and gank the sons of bitches back in our world." Everyone gasped.

"That's suicide!" Garth intervened, "There are too many mice down there."

"I'm not saying attack on sight," Dean explained, "I say lay low until we figure out a permanent solution. Besides, the rat king wants me. He'll leave the soldiers alone up here if I go down there." A lot look convinced that the plan would work, all except for Sam.

"Dean," he began to say, "You know the only way we're going to stop him is-"

"I already tried talking to her, Sammy," Dean intervened, "If that fairy wants to sit on her high-horse and not help innocent victims then who needs her?" Castiel tried to keep up with what they were talking about. He figured they meant the sugarplum fairy, the one Joshua had mentioned in the story.

"Maybe you've proven your worth," Sam tried to argue, "Maybe she sees now that our cause is worthy." Dean rolled his eyes.

"Please, I'm the same from which I started," Dean said, "How would she be impressed?"

"It's worth a shot," Sam pressed on, "We don't have any other choices at this point. The rat king is probably harnessing his magic as we speak." Dean looked as though he was trying to come up with a counter argument but couldn't find words or logic. He sighed in exasperation.

"Fine, we'll go see her," Dean agreed, "But it's a long journey, and a dangerous one. So some might have to stay behind."

"I will," Ellen volunteered, "Too many injuries to take care of, I can't just leave them all alone."

"I'll stay too," Kevin agreed, "I'm not much of a fighter anyway. And Ellen could use all the help she could get."

"I'll go with you," Jo said, gesturing to Dean's side.

"Jo, honey, it's going to be dangerous enough," Ellen said stepping in.

"I know mom," she said, "Which is why the boys need me to help them." Ellen gave a stern look before breaking and giving Jo a hug goodbye.

"I'll go too," Garth said, "Anything to get away from the fireplace in here." He noted eyeing the roaring flames in the far distance with disgust. Dean nodded at the two whom had volunteered.

"Sam, what about you?" Dean asked.

"Of course," Sam agreed, "I want this war to end as much as you do." Castiel was so impressed with everyone's bravery. He decided he would stand up to the occasion.

"Let me go with you," he said, standing tall. Everyone looked a bit shock. Dean openly laughed.

"It's going to be dangerous enough," he noted, "You're safer staying here."

"I don't want to be the size of a mouse for the rest of my life," he argued, "I won't be a burden. I'll help in any way I can."

"What, by throwing another shoe at them?" Dean asked mockingly. Castiel was annoyed and a bit hurt at that statement.

"That was all I could think of doing at the time," Castiel defended himself. "It's not my fault you couldn't dodge in time."

"Well excuse me," Dean argued back, "If I'm trying to save an entire kingdom and your sorry ass all at the same time."

"Guy, guys," Sam stood in the middle of them both before they were at their necks strangling each other. "Let's not waste precious time arguing." He turned towards Castiel's direction, "Look, Cas. We know you want to help but I think Dean's right. You would be safer here-"

"You are both incorrect," A distant voice whispered. Everyone looked around.

"Who said that?" Dean asked, looking around. They all were looking around until they saw an angel approach them. Castiel squinted, noticing it was the angel that had been recently placed along the old grandfather clock.

"You look familiar," Castiel noted. Not just because of the presence of the grandfather clock, but it also shared a certain resemblance to one of his cousins, with blonde hair and deep sunken eyes. The angel smiled a bit, obviously amused.

"I know I may look like Michael," he answered, "But that is beyond the point. Castiel, you must go with them. You play a vital part in this story."

"How does he play a vital part?" Dean asked, getting annoyed.

"He has traits you do not possess, Dean," the angel spoke, "You will need his wits and patience to get you through this quest. Only if you work together will you succeed."

"How do you know all of this?" Dean asked, still not believing it.

"I am a messenger," he answered, "I only speak the truth of prophecies." Dean was about to argue, but rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he said gesturing for everyone to follow, "But I'm not babying you." Castiel scowled at him.

"Not needed, I can take care of myself," he said stomping forward. They said their goodbyes to Ellen and Kevin before leaving. Dean took time to thank the angel for valuable information. Ellen pulled Dean in for a quick hug before whispering in Dean's ear.

"If you let anything happen to Jo, then the rat king isn't the only thing you have to worry about," she whispered in his ear but everyone could still hear. Dean looked a bit more shaken from the words. Sam, Garth, Jo, Dean and Castiel all made their direction for the old crack in the wall when the angel stopped Castiel.

"If you can complete this mission, you may return home to your normal size," he noted, giving Castiel a reassuring pat on the back.

"Thank you," Castiel noted, "For putting in a good word for me." The angel smiled.

"It is my duty to tell the truth and future of quests," he reassured, "Also I feel I should tell you one last hint. I know you have your disagreements with Dean, but he is not a bad man."

"Hey, Princess! You coming or not?" Dean shouted, standing near the crack. Castiel frowned and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, he seems really great," Castiel said with every ounce of sarcasm in his voice. He sighed making his way to the crack. Everyone had already jumped down except for Dean. Castiel peered in, only seeing a small hole. "How are we supposed to get down there?" he asked looking for a sort of rope or ladder. Dean just gave him a knowing smile.

"I really hope you don't get nauseous," he said. He quickly grabbed Castiel by the hips and chucked them both down the pitch black hole. Castiel was shrieking at the top of his lungs as Dean was laughing hysterically.

"Dean! If we survive this I'm going to kill you!" Castiel shouted, Dean just laughed not letting go of him.

"I'd like to see you try!" Dean laughed. Castiel knew if they survived this, it was going to be a long Christmas eve.


	3. The Fairies

The gang of misfits tumbled through the dark hole, only to see a glowing light at the end. Sam being the first to fall, braced himself for impact. Only to find it didn't hurt as much as first suspected. He quickly looked around to see blankets of snow in a cave encased in glowing, blue ice. Sam guessed it had to be a few feet deep to break his fall . He heard two more thuds land in the snow.

"Guys?" he asked, hoping the others had landed gracefully as he did. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Jo said, brushing snow off her tutu. "It's just freezing in here."

"I can't see!" Garth shouted, Sam looked around for him to see him struggling with his head stuck in a snowbank. Sam quickly hurried over to pull him out, grasping his shoulders out came the rest of Garth. Shaking snow off of his head, "That's better." Sam laughed a little before noticing the absence of two.

"Where's Dean and Cas?" he asked confused looking around for them. He was shaken from his thoughts when he heard a scream followed by laughter and a huge thud not far behind.

"I think I found them," Garth noted, gesturing towards the snow pile. Dean's head emerged from the pile of snow, still laughing even when they had crashed.

"Told you we'd be fine," Dean told Castiel, looking around not being able to find him. "Cas?"

"Under here," Castiel spoke, Dean was sitting on the pile of snow Castiel had been buried. Dean laughed a little bit, trying to hide it. "Dean!"

"Alright, I'll get you out," he stood up, digging through the snow to get to Castiel. He popped his head up, his face red and fuming. "What?" Dean asked, "Are you just going to stare at me?"

"Don't you ever…" Castiel said, catching his breath for emphasis. His voice was sore from screaming, "Ever….Throw me down a hole again."

"You're fine," Dean said, "We're all fine. I don't know what you're getting so mad about."

"You threw me down a hole!" Castiel shouted, "A hole where you didn't know what was at the end!"

"You survived," Dean noted, sliding down the snowy slope, "Besides, it's not like I pushed you in by yourself. I jumped too, remember?"

"Could have given me some warning!"

"And I thought you said you weren't going to be a baby," Dean smirked. Castiel only grew angrier at this statement.

"Should we get a room for these two?" Garth suggested.

"Shut up, Garth!" Both of them said in unision. Sam simply rolled his eyes at how childish they were being.

"Guys, save it," he said, "We need to find a way out of here." Castiel slid down the slope, feeling a bit guilty for being so childish.

"I think I found it!" Jo shouted, the echo resounded through the cave, "While you guys were busy bickering!"

"Good work, Jo," Sam said running over, following the sound of her voice. Everyone quickly followed the pursuit. "How's the situation look?"

"Not good," she noted, "It appears to have been iced over." She gestured to the exit of the cave. A rocky archway that had been completely crystallized over by ice.

"Great," Dean said, unsheathing his sword, "Looks like we're hacking our way out of here."

"That'll take too long," Sam argued, "The rat king will find us by then, we have to find another way." Sam and Dean were about to walk off in another direction when they heard faint giggling. "Jo, was that you?" she quickly shook her head.

"Don't look at me," Jo answered. They heard the giggling again.

"Must have been Cas, then," Dean joked. Castiel simply elbowed him in the ribs, gritting his teeth. "Jeez, take a joke." the giggling grew closer. Sam looked skeptically at the hand puppet.

"Garth?" Sam asked, running out of options.

"Oh, really funny," Garth said, not looking amused by the assumption.

"You don't think…" Dean spoke out loud, "Oh no." He sighed, moving his hand to forehead in frustration. Castiel was about to ask what was going on when he saw tiny snowflakes zoom in from all directions.

"Snowflakes?" Castiel asked confused.

"Look closer at them," Dean quickly answered. Castiel squinted looking at the snowflakes. He noticed, there were girls inside them. Girls wearing white dresses adorned with icicles and ends trimmed to look like snowflakes. They fluttered gracefully with white wings made up of snowflakes, and shoes as white as the snow blankets.

"They're...magnificent…" he spoke out loud without much thought, staring curiously at the fairies. They simply giggled at the compliment.

"They're annoying, is what they are," Dean said trying to shoo them away.

"They won't hurt us, will they?" Castiel asked, some were already approaching him.

"Only if you make them mad," Sam noted, "That includes swatting at them."

"We won't hurt you!" one shouted, "We can help!"

"Hey! Don't offer help so easily," another said, "That one keeps swatting at us!"

"Guys, stop fighting!" a third put in, "We have to wait for what Charlie has to say!" The fairies quickly fluttered away from the group of misfits. To make room for a fairy making her way towards Castiel. The fairy had red hair and a curious smile as she made her way closer.

"Are you Charlie?" Castiel asked, tilting his head.

"That's right," she said, "And I assume you all want to leave the cave." The crowd quickly nodded in unison.

"Yes," Sam answered, "See, we're on a bit of a quest-"

"A quest?" Charlie's eyes lit up at the word, "I love quests! You mean you're going on an adventure to save the day?"

"Yes, in a way," Sam answered, dazed at the fairy's sudden excitement. "We're on our way to see the sugarplum fairy and to stop the rat king-"

"The rat king?" Charlie asked, her face turning more displeased, "That guy is enemy number one to fairies, and an overall major douche."

"Right?" Dean nodded in agreement.

"We'd be happy to help unfreeze the door," Charlie said, "But there's a catch."

"Why? I thought you wanted to help us." Castiel noted.

"It wouldn't be much of a quest if we just let you through," Charlie noted, "It won't be too hard like fighting a dragon or anything. Although that would be pretty kickass if you could."

"What do you need us to do?" Dean asked, his face lighting up at the mention of a challenge.

"Simple," Charlie told Dean, "I'll give you three riddles. If you get them all correct, we'll help you get out of the cave. Hell, we'll even point you in the direction of the Sugarplum fairy's temple. If you get them wrong, you're going to be hacking away at that door entrance all night."

"Easy enough," Sam said, "Whatever gets us out the fastest."

"Alright. First one, anyone can answer," Charlie cleared her throat, "What kind of coat can be put on when wet?"

"A coat of paint!" Garth quickly answered, already excited, "Easy enough!"

"Correct!" Charlie said, happy they had not failed, "Second question; I fly, yet I have no wings. I cry, yet I have no eyes. Darkness follows me; lower light I never see."

Everyone took their time, scratching their heads. Castiel was about to say the answer but Jo beat him to the punchline.

"A cloud," she quickly answered, hoping it was correct.

"Right!" Charlie said, fluttering around with excitement, "You guys are doing great so far. Last one, it's all or nothing. You can have me but cannot hold me; gain me and quickly lose me. If treated with care, I can be great, and if betrayed I will break. What am I?"

Everyone seemed stumped on this one. Castiel felt this seemed familiar, he had heard it before he just found it hard to recall the answer. Dean was getting more anxious as no one could answer.

"Look, we really need to stop the king," he decided to say, "If you could just help us or give us another riddle-"

"Trust," Castiel said aloud, just remembering the answer. Everyone turned to stare at him. "I think that's the answer. Trust." Charlie's smile twisted into an even wider grin.

"That's right!" She cheered. "Now we can help you! I was worried there you were going to give up. We would have froze you if it came to that. One thing we can't stand is quitters." Charlie quickly flew away whispering with her other fairy followers. They seemed to understand the situation and quickly worked on unfreezing the door.

Castiel gave a content smile and a sigh of relief, happy that they were able to avoid any danger. He felt Dean tap him on the shoulder, Castiel tilted his head curiously.

"How did you know that?" he asked, Castiel gave a content smirk.

"My father told me that one," he explained, "He used to have a lot of riddles, that one always stuck though." Castiel almost could have seen the ends of Dean's mouth curve into a small smile.

"Well, thank god it did," he sighed in relief, "I think Charlie wasn't kidding about the freezing us part."

"Luckily it didn't come to that," Castiel said with a nervous laugh.

"Still, that was a lucky shot," Dean scoffed, "Try to think more next time."

"Think more?" Castiel asked rhetorically, a bit offended. "I solved it! You were the one about to give up!" Castiel was about to go off on a rant when the fairies came back.

"The door's open," Charlie quickly intervened before Castiel could completely snap. He took a deep breath as Charlie looked ready to explain the rest of the situation. "You have to cross a river up ahead to get to the Sugarplum fairy's temple. It's near a waterfall and the current is pretty strong. But we know winter spirits that live around there. If you tell them Charlie sent you, they can freeze the bridge with no problem."

"Thank you, Charlie," Sam quickly added, "For everything."

"Great, let's get going," Castiel quickly said storming out.

"Cas, wait," Dean said trying to catch up with him. Jo and Garth quickly followed behind as Sam sighed and slowly brought his head to his forehead.

"Oh, Dean," Sam said. It drove him crazy how his brother could be so oblivious at times. He didn't know what was going on between them, but he could understand Castiel's frustration. Charlie fluttered more closer to Sam when Dean was out of earshot.

"Are they having a lover's quarrel or something?" she asked, giving Sam a sympathetic look.

"They're not together," Sam explained, "I'm not sure how Dean feels about Cas, but Cas can't seem to stand Dean at the moment."

"Really?" Charlie asked a bit baffled, "They both seem to like each other well enough and want to protect each other. They just can't seem to find a way to act towards one another." Sam nodded in agreement.

"Hopefully they'll figure that out before they end up killing each other," Sam said, "Hopefully Dean can find what he needs to prove himself worthy to the fairy." Sam quickly said goodbye to Charlie before catching up with the others. Charlie smiled knowingly to herself.

"Maybe what he needs is right in front of him," She whispered with a laugh


End file.
